Now that the iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have all updated to Haswell and the new Mac Pro is announced and on the way, that leaves the Mac mini as the last Mac standing for an update, as usual.

So, Haswell, Iris, PCIe flash, USB 3, Thunderbolt 2 will all probably happen. The form factor of the current one is still based on having an optical drive, the new one doesn't need to be that shape or size now. I'm not sure about it keeping the hard drive bay inside, it might be a 'Mac Pro Mini' and be internal PCIe card only. So form factor could get more mini, maybe like the Piston PC that was supposed to be the Steam box (new Cube? :) ), maybe like the new tower shape Airports.

Anyways, going by the Mac mini update cycle, it will happen anytime between now and 2017, maybe , or die.

P

Nov 1, 2013 07:20 AM

Don't forget upgraded Wifi - 802.11ac.

I don't think that the mini is ditching the HDD just yet. I think it will be default with a 2.5" HDD and upgradeable to Fusion Drive, but that the SSD part moves to the PCIe solution.

Other than that... Apple could change the shape completely. If we look at history, the mini has borne a certain similarity to the Airport Extreme basestation, and that one just turned into something a completely different shape. I wonder if that is where we're going? Could also be that we get something of the same shape except smaller - and black like the MP and AppleTV.

All in all the mini is not really in dire need of a redesign, so I don't know if it will happen,but it is certainly a possibility.

abbaZaba

Nov 6, 2013 12:04 AM

I've got high hopes for the next refresh. Other than the pretty much definite TB2, USB3, 802.11ac, Haswell, and Iris if they were to make the baseline model with a Fusion Drive I would be extremely happy. It'd seem silly to me for them to offer just the HDD on the base model with a BTO PCIe Fusion Drive upgrade. Wouldn't the internals of the HDD base model be decidedly different than a model with a PCIe-Flash Fusion Drive?

Even just a 128GB SSD at the base model would make me happy.

P

Nov 6, 2013 03:44 AM

I hoped they would make FD standard for the iMac refresh, but that didn't happen, and I don't think that the mini will leapfrog it.

Most likely they will make a mini with a that PCIe blade slot on the motherboard, and either just not fill it or just not solder in the slot.

cgc

Nov 6, 2013 09:03 AM

I've been waiting patiently to buy a Mac Mini the day it's updated but Apple's dragging their feet. Hope there's no radical redesign...

shabbasuraj

Nov 6, 2013 03:35 PM

I would like to see 2 TB ports.

Probably going to drop FW as a result.

Spheric Harlot

Nov 6, 2013 04:37 PM

Of course.

(I was rather surprised to learn that the current mini actually still *has* FireWire. Hasn't been updated in a while, I guess. )